Method of assembling a saw horse and saw horse and assembly kit therefor

ABSTRACT

A saw horse kit including an elongated article support member defining four beveled surfaces, four elongated leg members each having opposite beveled ends, and two trapezoidally shaped gussets defining notches or channels extending along the entire length of the non-parallel sides thereof. The saw horse is assembled by securing each of the gussets to different pairs of leg members such that each of the notches of the gussets receives therein a predetermined portion of a respective one of the leg members. The article support member is in position on the upper surface of the gussets and between the opposed leg members secured to the gussets such that each of the aforestated beveled surfaces contiguously engages with and is fastened to surface portions of a respective leg member. The method of this invention includes assembling each of said gussets to a respective pair of leg members, each of said assembling steps including positioning two of said leg members together with the respective ends aligned so that said aligned ends form a predetermined shape, making a mark on each of said positioned leg members a predetermined distance from said aligned ends using a template having edges of said predetermined shape, moving said positioned leg members apart, positioning the upper surface of said gusset against said moved leg members in alignment with said marks such that the grooves of said gussets respectively receive therein portions of said moved leg members, and securing each gusset to its pair of moved leg members, positioning said article support member on said gussets such that a beveled end of each of said leg members rests contiguously against a respective one of said beveled surfaces, and securing the leg members to said article support member.

United States Patent [1 1 Thompson Sept. 25, 1973 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A SAW HORSE AND SAW HORSE'AND ASSEMBLY KIT THEREFOR James S. Thompson, 5810 S.W. Erickson, Apt. 4, Beaverton, Oreg. 97005 [22] Filed: Jan. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 221,556

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 182/181, 182/224 [51] Int. Cl. F16m 11/00 [58] Field of Search 182/151, 181, 186, 182/224, 226; 269/296 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 841,931 l/1904 Chesebro 182/181 3,103,988 9/1963 Knuth 182/226 3,080,015 3/1963 Devender 182/181 Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Att0rneyDuane Burton [57] ABSTRACT A saw horse kit including an elongated article support member defining four beveled surfaces, four elongated leg members each having opposite beveled ends, and two trapezoidally shaped gussets defining notches or channels extending along the entire length of the nonparallel sides thereof. The saw horse is assembled by securing each of the gussets to different pairs of leg members such that each of the notches of the gussets receives therein a predetermined portion of a respective one of the leg members. The article support member is in position on the upper surface of the gussets and between the opposed leg members secured to the gussets such that each of the aforestated beveled surfaces contiguously engages with and is fastened to surface portions of a respective leg member.

The method of this invention includes assembling each of said gussets to a respective pair of leg members, each of said assembling steps including positioning two of said leg members together with the respective ends aligned so that said aligned ends form a predetermined shape, making a mark on each of said positioned leg members a predetermined distance from said aligned ends using a template having edges of said predetermined shape, moving said positioned leg members apart, positioning the upper surface of said gusset against said moved leg members in alignment with said marks such that the grooves of said gussets respectively receive therein portions of said moved leg members, and securing each gusset to its pair of moved leg members, positioning said article support member on said gussets such that a beveled end of each of said leg members rests contiguously against a respective one of said beveled surfaces, and securing the leg members to said article support member.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A SAW HORSE AND SAW HORSE AND ASSEMBLY KIT THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to article support assemblies and more particularly to saw horse assembly kits and a method of assemblying same.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art Today, more and more people are becoming involved in home construction, do-it-yourself" type projects which require various types of basic equipment such as power saws, power drills and sanders. An even more basic need is a sturdy saw horse or other such article support assembly. However, as most amateur carpenters know, to build a reliable saw horse can be a most tedious, expensive and time-consuming task even by those experienced in carpentry. Accordingly, most amateur carpenters prefer to buy pre-assembled saw horses or assembly kits for the same. It has been found, however, that, heretofore, the purchase of either a preassembled saw horse or a saw horse in kit form has not eliminated many of the disadvantages of a home-built assembly. Specifically, many of the support assemblies of higher quality are very expensive and/or heavy and inconvenient to move around. On the other hand, the known assembly kits have been found generally to be complicated to assemble, weak in design and/or expensive to purchase. Examples of article support assemblies disclosed in the prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 604,979, 1,147,522, 1,960,991, 2,197,187 and 2,343,557.

It should become apparent from the following descriptions that the present invention provides a heretofore unavailable and unobvious improvement in article support assemblies over the assemblies described above, including those which are in kit form. In this regard, the most pertinent reference appears to be U.S. Pat. No. 604,979 to Garrett which discloses a combination scaffold. However, the instant invention discloses a pair of appropriately notched gussets which are not taught or suggested by the Garrett patent. The gussets, as will become apparent hereinafter, enhance the quality of the saw horse assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention as well as simplifying the manner in which the saw horse is assembled. The Garrett patent also fails to disclose the use of a template to mark the leg members in a manner to facilitate assembly of each gusset to a pair of leg members. Other differences between the Garrett patent and the instant invention will also become apparent hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a heretofore unavailable improvement in saw horse assemblies, especially those in unassembled kit form.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved saw horse assembly kit which is economical to manufacture and light in weight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved saw horse assembly kit which can Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved saw horse assembly kit which includes precut components and which only requires the following of simple directions and the hammering of nails for assembling the saw horse.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved saw horse assembly including predesigned gussets which enhance the quality of the assembly by rigidizing each pair of legs prior to securing same to the article support as well as increasing the ease in which the assembly can be put together.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of assembling a saw horse from a kit which in cludes an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and four beveled surfaces, four elongated leg members having rectangular crosssections and opposite beveled ends, and trapezoidally shaped gussets defining grooves extending along the respective non-parallel edges, said method comprising the steps of assembling each of said gussets to a respective pair of said leg members each of said assembling steps including positioning two of said leg members to- 1 gether with their respective ends aligned so that aligned ends form a predetermined shape, making a mark on each of said positioned leg members a predetermined distance from said aligned ends using a template having edges of predetermined shape, moving said positioned leg members apart, positioning the upper surface of said gusset against said moved leg members in alignment with said marks such that the grooves of said gusset respectively receive therein portions of said moved leg members and securing each gusset to its pair of moved leg members, positioning said article support member on said gussets such that a beveled end of each of said leg members rests contiguously against a respective one of said beveled surfaces, and securing the leg members to said article support member.

These and other object and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a saw horse constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of a saw horse constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an invention constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of a gusset used in a 'saw horse constructed in accordance with this invention; I

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the gusset shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the template and a pair of leg members upon which said template is to be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is directed to a lightweight and inexpensive kit including all of the components required to assemble, at home, a well constructed saw leg members having beveled ends and an elongated article support member having four beveled surfaces defined therein.

As will be seen hereinafter, the components of the kit are preferably assembled to form a saw horse by initially fastening two leg members to each of the gussets such that the leg members set within the aforestated slots and such that the ends of the leg members extend predetermined distances upwardly from the parallel sides of the gussets. In this regard, a template, provided with the kit, may be utilized for determining these distances, as will be illustrated hereinafter.

Once the gussets and leg members are fastened together in the aforestated manner, the article support member can be easily positioned on top of the gussets so that a top side portion of each leg member contiguously engages a respective one of the aforestated beveled surfaces. The leg members can then be fastened to the support member at the beveled surfaces.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that only seven components (apart from the template and fastening means such as, for example, nails and/or glue) are required for constructing a saw horse from the assembly kit of the present invention. These components are pre-cut and designed to fit together in a logical sequence for providing a sturdy and reliable, yet inexpensive, saw horse which may be assembled together in a simple and rapid fashion.

Turning to the drawing, wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures, a saw horse, constructed in accordance with the present invention, is illustrated and generally designated by the reference numeral 10. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the saw horse is shown unassembled thereby depicting the components as they would be in kit form. These components, which are preferably constructed of pre-cut wood, include an article support member 12, four leg members 14 and two gussets 16.

As illustrated best in FIG. 1, the article support member 12 is an elongated member having a rectangular cross-section and defining a top surface 18, a bottom surface 20, opposite side surfaces or edges 22 and opposite end surfaces 24. The ratio of the width of the top and bottom surfaces to the width of the side surfaces is about two. The article support member 12 also includes four notches 26 located at opposite ends of each side surface 22. Each of these notches 26 defines a shoulder 27 and a beveled surface 28 which extends longitudinally inwardly from an adjacent end 24 a distance slightly greater than the width of leg members 14, as will be seen hereinafter. In addition, the beveled surfaces 28 taper equally upwardly from the bottom surface 20 of the article support to the top surface 18 thereof so as to define predetermined inclines. As will be shown hereinafter, these beveled surfaces 28 are adapted to engage in a contiguous fashion surface portions of leg members 14 for supporting the latter in predetermined inclined planes. Each of the legs 14, as illustrated, takes the form of a longitudinally extending member displaying a rectangular cross-section and defining an outside surface 30, an inside surface 32, edges 34 and end surfaces 36. As shown best in FIG. 2, the end surfaces of each leg 14 are beveled so as to extend parallel with top surface 18 of article support 12 when the inside surfaces 32 of the legs are positioned contiguously against beveled surfaces 28. In this manner, as will be seen hereinafter, the top end of each leg memher can be made flush with the top surface of the article support while the bottom end rests evenly on the ground.

Turning to FIGS. 4 and 5, in conjunction with FIG. 1, attention is now directed to the gussets 16 which, as stated above, are trapezoidally shaped, each defining a side or front surface 38, a shorter parallel edge 40, a longer parallel edge 42 and two non-parallel edges 44 which taper equally outwardly and downwardly from the shorter edge 40 to the longer edge 42. As illustrated best in FIG. 2, the tapered edges 44 define inclines parallel with the incline of opposite leg members 14 when the latter are positioned against the beveled surfaces 28. In fact, when assembled in the manner to be described below, the edges 44 of the gussets are preferably flush with the outside surfaces 30 of the leg members. In addition, each of these non-parallel edges is rabbeted so as to define a notch or groove 46 which extends the entire length of the edge and which is adapted to receive therein an edge 34 of a leg member 14.

With the various components making up saw horse 10 designed in the foregoing manner, attention is directed to a novel method for assembling these components. As illustrated in FIG. 6, two legs 14 are placed on edge so that their inside surfaces 32 are facing each other and in contact with each other and their top beveled ends 36 form an inverted V-shaped configuration. A template 48 having an identical inverted V-shaped top configuration 50 and an identical V-shaped bottom 52 joined by parallel sides 54 is included in the saw horse assembly kit. For reasons to become apparent hereinafter, the distance between the top and bottom vertices of the template and the length of sides 54 are equal to the thickness of article support member 12.

Although not shown, the template is to be positioned on the edges 34 of the leg members so that the top 50 is aligned with the inverted V-shaped ends 36. A straight line 56 is drawn on the edge 34 of each leg member using the bottom of the template as a guide. The top shorter parallel edge of one of the gussets is lined up with the drawn lines while the non-parallel edges are alignd with edges 34 of the two leg members so that the edges 34 seat within grooves 46 as shown in FIG. 3. The gusset is fastened to the leg member in this position by fastening means such as, for example, nails 58 having external threads formed thereon. In this manner, the leg members are held in an inclined position for complemental engagement with the beveled surfaces 28 and the top parallel edge 40 of the gusset is positioned below the top edges 36 of the leg members a distance equal to the thickness of the article support 12, as illustrated best in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The second set of leg members and remaining gusset are assembled together in the same manner described above. In this regard, it is to be understood that glueor other fastening means can be used in addition to or in lieu of nails 58.

Once the leg members and gussets have been fastened together in the foregoing manner, they are positioned in an upright fashion, as illustrated in FIG. 3. One end of the article support 12 is inserted under the top edges 36 of a fastened pair of leg members such that the shoulder 27 thereof abuts the inside edges 34 of the leg members and the bottom side 20 of the support rests on the top edge 40 of the gusset. In this manner, a top inside surface portion of each of the leg members rests contiguously against a respective bev-v eled surface 28 while the top edges of the leg members are flush with top surface 18 of the article support.

The foregoing procedure is repeated for the second pair of fastened leg members and the opposite end of article support 12. In both cases, nails 58 or other suitable fastening means may be provided for fastening the leg members to the article support member at points where they are in engagement with each other. It should be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention provides a plurality of pre-cut components suitably designed so as to be easily and rapidly assembled together to form an inexpensive article support assembly utilized as, for example, a saw horse. In addition, once assembled, the saw horse has been found to be extremely sturdy and reliable. This is due generally to the overall design of the individual components making up the saw horse and the manner in which the components are assembled together. More specifically, however, the presence of gussets l6 and the manner in which they are designed to support both the leg members l4 and article support 12 greatly enhances the overall construction of the saw horse and the rigidity thereof thereby preventing collapse of the saw horse as a result of the leg members pivoting at their connection to the article support member. In addition, these gussets provide an excellent starting point for rapidly assembling together and lining up the various components making up the saw horse. Further, a layman having ordinary skills can easily and quickly assemble the saw horse of this invention through the use of only a hammer and the component parts described above. A saw horse of conventional size constructed in accordance with this invention from the following material has supported a load in excess of 2,000 pounds without the use of adhesive or glue:

MEMBER MATERIAL Article Support Member White Pine 2" 4" (nominal size) Leg Members White Pine l" 4" (normal size) Gusset White Pine 1" thick (nominal size) Although one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is anticipated that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and that such changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A saw horse, comprising:

a. an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and defining longitudinally extending top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces joining the top surface with the bottom surface, (i) the ratio of the width of said top and bottom surfaces to the width of the side surfaces being approximately two, (ii) each of said side surfaces defining first and second beveled surfaces extending longitudinally inwardly from opposite ends thereof and between the top and bottom surfaces thereof, (iii) each of said beveled surfaces displaying a predetermined incline transverse to the longitudinal axis of said article support member, (iv) each of said opposite ends of said support member defining in cross-section, a trapezoidal configuration;

b. four elongated leg members having a rectangular cross-section an beveled ends disposed in parallel planes, one lengthwise surface portion of each of said leg members being positioned in engagement with a respective one of said beveled surfaces;

c. means for fastening said leg members to said article support member in said engaging position; two trapezoidally shaped gussets having longer and shorter parallel sides and non-parallel sides which taper substantially equally outwardly from the shorter parallel side, (i) each of the non-parallel sides of each of said gussets defining a groove extending the length of said non-parallel side, (ii) each of said gussets being positioned such that at least a portion of the shorter parallel side thereof is in supporting engagement with the bottom surface of said article support member and such that each of said grooves receives therein a lengthwise portion of a respective one of said leg members, (iii) each of said gussets also being positioned relative to a pair of leg members to form, with said leg members, in cross-section, an opening complemental in configuration with the cross-sectional configuration of one of the beveled ends of said article support member, each of said beveled ends of said support member being disposed within a corresponding one of said openings;

e. means for securely fastening each of said gussets in the aforesaid position.

2. A saw horse according to claim 1 wherein the beveled ends of said leg members define surfaces parallel to the top surface of said article support and wherein one of said parallel surfaces of each leg member is positioned flush with the top surface of said article support member.

3. A saw horse, comprising:

a. an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and defining longitudinally extending top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces joining the top surface with the bottom surface, each of said side surfaces defining first and second beveled surfaces extending longitudinally inwardly from opposite ends thereof and between the top and bottom surfaces, each of said beveled surfaces displaying a predetermined incline traverse to the longitudinal axis of said longitudinal support member, each of said opposite ends of said support member defining, in cross-section, a trapezoidal configuration;

b. four elongated leg members having a rectangular cross-section and beveled ends disposed in parallel planes, one lengthwise surface portion of each of said leg members being positioned in engagement with a respective one of the beveled surfaces of said support member;

c. two trazezoidally shaped gussets having longer and shorter parallel sides and non-parallel sides which taper substantially equally outwardly from the shorter parallel side, each of said non-parallel sides of each of said gussets defining a groove extending the length of said non-parallel side, each of said gussets being positioned such that at least a portion of the shorter parallel side thereof is in supporting engagement with the bottom surface of said article support member and such that each of said grooves receives therein a lengthwise portion of the respective one of said leg members, each of said gussets also being positioned relative to a pair of said leg members to form with said leg members, in crosssection, an opening complemental in configuration with the cross-sectional configuration of one of the beveled ends of said article support member, each of said beveled ends of said support member being disposed within a corresponding one of said openings; and

d. means for securely fastening each of said gussets in the aforesaid position and each of said leg members to said article support member.

4. A method of assembling a saw horse from a kit which includes an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and four beveled surfaces, four elongated leg members having rectangular cross-sections and opposite beveled ends, and trapezoidally shaped gussets defining grooves extending along their respective non-parallel edges, said method comprising the steps of:

a. assembling each of said gussets to a respective pair of said leg members, each of said assembling steps including (i) positioning two of said leg members b. positioning said article support member on said gussets such that a beveled end of each of said leg members rests contiguously against a respective one of said beveled surfaces; and

c. securing the leg members to said article support member. 

1. A saw horse, comprising: a. an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and defining longitudinally extending top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces joining the top surface with the bottom surface, (i) the ratio of the width of said top and bottom surfaces to the width of the side surfaces being approximately two, (ii) each of said side surfaces defining first and second beveled surfaces extending longitudinally inwardly from opposite ends thereof and between the top and bottom surfaces thereof, (iii) each of said beveled surfaces displaying a predetermined incline transverse to the longitudinal axis of said article support member, (iv) each of said opposite ends of said support member defining in crosssection, a trapezoidal configuration; b. four elongated leg members having a rectangular cross-section an beveled ends disposed in parallel planes, one lengthwise surface portion of each of said leg members being positioned in engagement with a respective one of said beveled surfaces; c. means for fastening said leg members to said article support member in said engaging position; d. two trapezoidally shaped gussets having longer and shorter parallel sides and non-parallel sides which taper substantially equally outwardly from the shorter parallel side, (i) each of the non-parallel sides of each of said gussets defining a groove extending the length of said non-parallel side, (ii) each of said gussets being positioned such that at least a portion of the shorter parallel side thereof is in supporting engagement with the bottom surface of said article support member and such that each of said grooves receives therein a lengthwise portion of a respective one of said leg members, (iii) eAch of said gussets also being positioned relative to a pair of leg members to form, with said leg members, in crosssection, an opening complemental in configuration with the cross-sectional configuration of one of the beveled ends of said article support member, each of said beveled ends of said support member being disposed within a corresponding one of said openings; e. means for securely fastening each of said gussets in the aforesaid position.
 2. A saw horse according to claim 1 wherein the beveled ends of said leg members define surfaces parallel to the top surface of said article support and wherein one of said parallel surfaces of each leg member is positioned flush with the top surface of said article support member.
 3. A saw horse, comprising: a. an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and defining longitudinally extending top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces joining the top surface with the bottom surface, each of said side surfaces defining first and second beveled surfaces extending longitudinally inwardly from opposite ends thereof and between the top and bottom surfaces, each of said beveled surfaces displaying a predetermined incline traverse to the longitudinal axis of said longitudinal support member, each of said opposite ends of said support member defining, in cross-section, a trapezoidal configuration; b. four elongated leg members having a rectangular cross-section and beveled ends disposed in parallel planes, one lengthwise surface portion of each of said leg members being positioned in engagement with a respective one of the beveled surfaces of said support member; c. two trazezoidally shaped gussets having longer and shorter parallel sides and non-parallel sides which taper substantially equally outwardly from the shorter parallel side, each of said non-parallel sides of each of said gussets defining a groove extending the length of said non-parallel side, each of said gussets being positioned such that at least a portion of the shorter parallel side thereof is in supporting engagement with the bottom surface of said article support member and such that each of said grooves receives therein a lengthwise portion of the respective one of said leg members, each of said gussets also being positioned relative to a pair of said leg members to form with said leg members, in cross-section, an opening complemental in configuration with the cross-sectional configuration of one of the beveled ends of said article support member, each of said beveled ends of said support member being disposed within a corresponding one of said openings; and d. means for securely fastening each of said gussets in the aforesaid position and each of said leg members to said article support member.
 4. A method of assembling a saw horse from a kit which includes an elongated article support member having a rectangular cross-section and four beveled surfaces, four elongated leg members having rectangular cross-sections and opposite beveled ends, and trapezoidally shaped gussets defining grooves extending along their respective non-parallel edges, said method comprising the steps of: a. assembling each of said gussets to a respective pair of said leg members, each of said assembling steps including (i) positioning two of said leg members together with their respective ends aligned so that said aligned ends form a predetermined shape, (ii) making a mark on each of said positioned leg members a predetermined distance from said aligned ends using a template having edges of said predetermined shape, (iii) moving said positioned leg members apart, (iv) positioning said gusset against said moved leg members in alignment with said marks such that the grooves of said gusset respectively receive portions of said moved leg members, and (v) securing each gusset to its pair of moved leg members; b. positioning said article support member on said gussets such that a beveled end of each of said leg members rests contiguously Against a respective one of said beveled surfaces; and c. securing the leg members to said article support member. 